2.90 lakh farmers committed suicide during 1995-2011: Govt

A total of 290,740 farmers have committed suicide during 1995-2001 due to various reasons, including bankruptcy or sudden change in economic status and poverty, Parliament was informed today.

"As per ADSI reports for relevant years, 290,470 self-employed persons in farming/agriculture committed suicide during 1995-2011," Minister of State for Agriculture Harish Rawat said in Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a question whether three lakh farmers committed suicide between 1995 and 2012 (till date).

The minister quoted the data from the National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) latest annual report on suicides, the ADSI-2011 (Accidental Death and Suicides in India).

"Causes of suicides across professional categories mentioned in ADSI include family problems, illness, drug abuse /addiction, unemployment, property dispute, bankruptcy or sudden change in economic status, poverty," the minister said.

Rawat informed the House that other reasons mentioned in the report for committing suicides are "professional/career problem, love affair, barrenness/impotency, cancellation/non settlement of marriage, dowry dispute, fall in social reputation, causes not known, etc."

According to government data, 152 farmers have committed suicide in the current year due to agrarian reasons against a total of 14,027 farmers in 2011.

Rawat said the government has taken several steps to revitalise agriculture sector and improve condition of farmers.

"Implementation of rehabilitation package covering 31 districts in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra under which an amount of Rs 19,998.85 crore has been released till September 30, 2011," the minister added.

Implementation of Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme, 2008, which benefitted about 3.69 crore farmers, involving debt waiver/relief of Rs 65,318.33 crore, he said.

According to Rawat government's steps to revitalise agriculture sector and improve condition of farmers also included "increasing credit flow to agriculture sector to Rs 5,09,039 crore as of March, 2012, and setting a target of Rs 5.75 lakh crore for 2012-13."

As per the Census of India, 1991, number of agricultural workers was 185.3 million, including 110.7 million cultivators and 74.6 million farm labourers, the minister added.

"As per Census of India, 2001, number of agricultural workers was 234.1 million, comprising 127.3 million cultivators and 106.8 million agricultural labourers," the minister informed the upper house.